


To Understand

by Dickbutt



Series: Dickbutt Writes Again [14]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hanzo is Bad With Feelings, Misunderstandings, Sequel, Ultimate Wingman Genji Shimada, fem!reader - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-19 12:09:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11897445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dickbutt/pseuds/Dickbutt
Summary: With Hanzo nowhere to be seen, and you no longer your usually exuberant self, Genji set out to right things. Again.He wondered how he let himself get caught up in this.(Sequel toHopeless)





	To Understand

**Author's Note:**

> Original request: Can I request a continuation of the Hanzo + fem!s/o scenario?
> 
> Originally posted at: [Dickbutt Writes Again](http://dickbutt-writes-again.tumblr.com) on Tumblr.

If his upbringing had taught Genji nothing else, it was to be observant. It was a necessity at the time, after all, but it had proven itself useful in other situations. It was how he had finally gotten his brother to stop being a moony-eyed loner after all.

He still felt rather proud of himself for that, giving that nudge for Hanzo to actively seek his own happiness. It was a wonderful sight, his brother and his lady, the man looking a touch less emotionally constipated than he usually did. Hanzo wanted to think himself hard to read, but he could be painfully obvious to anyone who knew what to look for; as siblings, he was especially vulnerable to Genji’s keen eye.

But his keen skills, unfortunately, were not perfect, and alerted him too late that something wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t until he saw you alone, rushing into an empty meeting room, visibly upset.

That Hanzo wasn’t with you set him on immediate alarm.

On recollection, he hadn’t seen his brother at all that day, and seldom the evening prior. His gut reaction was worry for Hanzo, but if something had happened to him, surely the rest of the base would have been notified by now.

He wasn’t about to search out his brother, not to start with at least, so that left him to approach you, as much as he didn’t really want to. Emotional comfort wasn’t a particular strength of his – that was more his Master’s realm of expertise.

But with Hanzo nowhere to be seen, and you no longer your usually exuberant self, Genji sighed – though he was not entirely exasperated – and set out to right things. Again. He wondered how he let himself get caught up in this.

Genji crept into the meeting room, the sight of you sitting with your head in your hands one that set him ill at ease. He began to have second thoughts, that maybe he should return at a later time, but his mouth moved faster than his body.

“What seems to be troubling you?” he asked.

You jumped, obviously startled, definitely not expecting to be disturbed as you tried and failed to hide the fact that you’d been crying. Genji’s heart twisted painfully in his chest, but he tried not to immediately jump to the worst conclusion. Your laugh was weak and damp as you gestured for him to sit beside you, which he did after an uncomfortable pause.

“…Where is Hanzo?” he ventured, maybe a little meekly. He wasn’t sure yet if he wanted to hear the answer.

You shrugged, unable to look at him. Genji swallowed. The room quieted again.

“…Has he said anything to you?”

Genji gave a start at the quiet question. You glanced at him out the corner of your eye, your posture tense, as though you were fearful of any news the cyborg ninja might carry with him.

“Not at all. I haven’t seen him in a while, actually.”

“Oh.” Your body sagged. “Of course…”

Genji’s jaw tightened with discomfort; he hated this. He wanted to just ask what had happened, if something was wrong with Hanzo… if Hanzo had done anything. But a more direct approach might only serve to upset you further, which was something he was hoping to avoid. His fingers clenched and unclenched on his lap as he wrestled his indecision. In the best case, you would bring everything out into the open yourself in some sort of catharsis; at worst - barring a demand for answers - you would close yourself further off and just leave.

(Though if he were completely honest, the real best case scenario would be Hanzo marching in to fix things himself instead.)

Genji had caught himself in a less than ideal position.

…made even worse by the fact that you had begun crying anew.

Genji’s heart leapt to his throat at the sight, and he moved in closer, hands hovering, uncertain. He was never any good at comforting crying girls… Tentatively, as though touching you would make things even worse, his hand settled on your shoulder where he began rubbing soft circles; you practically collapsed against the table, sniffling.

“I just don’t… understand what I’m doing wrong…”

Your voice broke off at the end of the sentence, and you furiously rubbed at your eyes to prevent any more tears from escaping. Genji steeled himself; he could do this.

“What happened?” When you looked away, he dared to press. “…Has he done something?”

You shook your head furvently, burying your face in your arms. “No! No… I just… It’s  _me_. I’m pretty sure everything I do…  _upsets_ him somehow.”

Genji’s brow furrowed. “Has he said as much?” he asked, knowing his brother was liable to put his foot in his mouth and say hurtful words without thinking.

“No, but… that’s the worst part! He doesn’t… he won’t talk to me.” Your shoulders heaved, face still hidden. “I try not to pry or…or be pushy, but it’s like… like he’s got a wall around himself that I can’t get over. I want…” You inhaled, though it was shaky, to try and steady yourself. “I just want him to get it over with and tell me he’s done. I’m a big girl, I can handle some rejection. It’d be better than… whatever this is. This… avoidance.”    

Gears started turning in Genji’s head at your disheartened speech. It didn’t settle right with him, that Hanzo wouldn’t confront such an issue head-on if it were as serious as it sounded.

“…Something  _did_  happen, didn’t it?”

From the way your already despondent posture fell, he knew he had hit the mark. He wanted to get to the bottom of things, but the more he pried, the worse he would feel – and he already felt bad enough, between the crying and wanting to grab Hanzo by the shoulders and shake him. He could only hope you would come out with it on your own time –

“I tried to kiss him,” you murmured, breaking him out of his train of thought.

He blinked. The cyborg was skeptical; that was hardly an offense worth Hanzo hiding himself away for – unless his brother was more repressed than he feared.

“-in the rec room.”

Oh.

He could see Hanzo reacting poorly to that. Could see him in his head clear as day, turning red and closing off, coming up with some excuse to leave as fast as he could and run off to hide until he stopped acting a blushing schoolboy. The image might have been cute, if it weren’t sad – and if that very line of action hadn’t caused you so much distress.

“Ah.” So that was it. He nearly chuckled, were he not certain you’d take offense to the sound. “Hanzo may be direct, but he is terrible with feelings. He was taught emotions made him weak, after all.”

You shifted at his words, eyes just barely peeking out at him. Genji hummed thoughtfully, his fingertips tracing over your shoulder blades again in soothing motions. You turned to watch him, your eyes still damp, head remaining pillowed in your arms. Beyond the threat of tears, your gaze shone with a desperate, unspoken question.

“But, you make him happy,” he said, eventually, once he was mostly sure you weren’t about to start crying again. At your disbelieving snort he started once more. “It’s true! I promise. Hanzo has always had… difficulties, in expressing himself. But it is the happiest I have seen him since we were boys.”

You propped your head up on your arm, sighing softly. “You know, I almost feel like you aren’t just saying this to make me feel better.”

“Have I ever led you astray?”

You laughed, ready to rebuke him but he held his hand up to stop you.

“Do not answer that.”

He had put you in better humor, but there was still a tightness to your already small smile. Your eyes drifted to the tabletop, where you fidgeted restlessly.

“He understands that – that I care about him, right?” You swallowed visibly, voice still thick. “That I don’t do this stuff to upset him or…”

You trailed off. It was a little uncomfortable, to be put into the position of speaking for his brother, but if Hanzo wouldn’t, Genji was the only one who could try. His hand came up to cover the back of yours.

“He…” Genji sighed, hand squeezing yours once. “He is very hard on himself, unnecessarily. He is unaccustomed to niceties or… affection, not without a catch. It has taken great steps for him to even feel he deserves such things.” He gave a dry chuckle. “It is likely that sometimes he feels it is perhaps… too much.”

Genji sighed, shoulders slumping just slightly.

“Just… be patient with him. Please.”

Just as you opened your mouth to answer, your comm went off, then Genji’s, lending cause to alarm. He looked at you, expression unable to be parsed through the visor and you glanced away, still seeming so uncertain, but it was a conversation Genji wanted to ensure did not go unfinished. Both of you hurried to your feet, to discover what new troubles were hounding Overwatch.

 

* * *

 

The mission was a mess – successful, but a complete mess. And but for infrequent radio updates, Genji had missed the entire thing.

You and Hanzo had been selected for the team.

It could’ve been fortuitous, a chance for things to be smoothed over in the face of danger. A chance to be forced together and actually  _talk._

Instead, you were in the infirmary, and his idiot brother was nowhere to be seen. Again. You were thankfully not critically injured, but Angela still wanted to keep you a day or two for observation, to ensure her quick work did not go to waste.

He combed the base top to bottom, but couldn’t find Hanzo again. He sighed to himself, believing that the elder Shimada was holed away somewhere over your condition; there was nothing to be done, Hanzo knew how to make himself disappear. Determined, he set himself toward the infirmary, to check on you for himself, and to see if you were in need of any comfort. (And if the latter, he’d drag his brother back by his ear if he had to.)

Upon arrival, he stopped short at the sound of two hushed voices speaking. He leaned around the corner just enough to see the room, and his eyes widened considerably when he saw Hanzo at your bedside. In one hand he held his tablet, but the other held yours on the bed, his thumb idly tracing over your knuckles. As you shifted, Hanzo glanced over to you.

“…Is there any pain?”

Your head shook minutely. Genji could practically hear the disapproval Hanzo’s stare as you eventually shrunk under his scrutiny.

“…It’s fine. Just an ache.”

“Would you like me to get Doctor Ziegler?”

“No…” You audibly sighed. “Look, you don’t… have to worry after me like this, you know?”

Hanzo set the tablet aside, focused his full attention on you. “I cannot help but worry, dearest. If I had just been-”

“Hanzo…”

Genji nearly flinched at your tone, body tensed. All the air rushed out of his body when his brother inclined his head slightly, and you leaned in as close as the bed would allow – shoulder to shoulder, just barely. Hanzo’s mouth touched to your temple.

“My apologies.”

The room fell to silence, and Hanzo returned to his tablet, his hand still holding onto yours as you drifted off. Genji was pleased to see that you took his words to heart, did not immediately – if well intentionedly – jump on Hanzo for being self deprecating. And Hanzo…

Well, it did tend to take some pretty serious events to get the man to change course, unfortunately. But things seemed all the better for it, at least.

Genji smiled beneath his visor and crept off, his presence clearly no longer needed. The both of you would be alright.


End file.
